Oversight_Panel
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Ms. Upton stated that the committee has not met since the last meeting. Ms. Black suggested scheduling another meeting in the January/February timeframe to discuss openings on the panel in 2010. Commissioner Keehn asked Ms. Sacco to circulate term dates for existing panel members.
Mr. Theisen, committee co-chair, presented the minutes from the November 13 meeting. He reported that the committee has decided to wrap-up its work as committee members felt that they have completed as much work as possible. Remaining issues will require the attention of a successor committee. Ms. Black, committee co-chair, concurred. A final report will be drafted in the new year and the committee will recommend next steps.
C. Batterer Accountability Committee
Dr. Murase reported that the legal intern, Nnena Ukuku, working with Judge Mary Morgan and the Adult Probation Department completed her report on batterers. Dr. Murase asked Ms. Sacco to circulate the report to the Panel. Dr. Murase stated that the report is focused on completion rates of batterers, while the interest of the Panel is on the efficacy of batterer intervention programs.
Department staff provided Ms. Hauck with an extensive bibliography on batterer intervention programs which she is reviewing. Ms. Hauck has contacted Beth Morroco and Brenda Starr for assistance. Mr. Ramirez stated that Ed Gandalf is an expert in this area. Ms. Upton suggested inviting Mr. Gandalf to address the Panel. Mr. Ramirez urged the Panel to narrow its focus to programs in San Francisco. He offered to meet with Ms. Hauck to discuss this issue further. Commissioner Keehn explained that the focus should be on what is and what is not working in San Francisco and what other models exist elsewhere. Commissioner Keehn asked other Panel members to submit research questions to Ms. Hauck. Ms. Marshall stated that the most recent batterers report documents the obstacles to completion. Mr. Ramirez reported on a conference in Georgia he attended where programs received partner feedback, a critical component to the issue.
Dr. Murase stated that Judge Morgan expressed an interest in meeting with Panel members to discuss the report. Mr. Ramirez suggested additional experts for the Panel to consult.
Ms. Upton reported on the October meeting of the JUSTIS Governance Council. Budget money from the last fiscal year was carried-over to this fiscal year. While progress appears to be very good, a major challenge has been connecting JUSTIS data to the court calendar.
1. Meeting with Police Chief Gascon, October 8, 2009
a. Location of the Domestic Violence Response Unit
Panel members met with Police Chief Gascon on October 8, 2009. He expressed grave concerns over the JUSTIS project and is having his staff review it. Panel members raised the issue of keeping the Domestic Violence Response Unit in-tact and at the Hall of Justice. Chief Gascon committed to keeping the DVRU at the Hall of Justice for now, but appeared to keep the door open for moving the unit to the field in the future. Discussion focused on alternative space for the DVRU within the Hall of Justice. Chief Gascon committed to looking into the issue. Ms. Black urged that the Panel take a proactive position on the DVRU location, as changes occur very rapidly. Mr. Theisen suggested that the Panel determine preferred space options. The Panel decided to request a meeting with the Police Chief in January to follow-up on the space issue. Ms. Black will ask her advocates to draft a fact sheet on the importance of keeping the DVRU at the Hall of Justice and in adequate space. Commissioner Keehn will review the Charan Report.
b. U-Visa Policy
Panel members asked Chief Gascon to formalize the policy on authorizing U-Visas for domestic violence survivors. Ms. Upton has been working closely with Captain Erlich on this issue. Chief Gascon committed to working with the community to conclude a policy within the year. Ms. Upton asked that this issue be included on the agenda for the follow-up meeting with the Chief.
c. Quarterly Reporting
Ms. Upton stated that the Police Department had a practice of subsuming domestic violence in aggravated assaults when reporting crime statistics. At the meeting, she requested that domestic violence be disaggregated. Chief Gascon agreed to provide domestic violence statistics in reports to the Police Commission and at the weekly ComStat meeting with police captains from each precinct.
d. Command Staff Appointments
Dr. Murase raised the issue of the Chief's command staff appointments and asked that he review the considerable talent among senior women officers in the Police Department in making his future appointments.
E. Family Violence Council
Ms. Upton stated that the Council has been focusing on child abuse intervention strategies. Although state law requires counties to offer 52-week programs for child abusers, very few counties, including San Francisco, do not. The Council is reviewing successful programs for best practices.
Ms. Marshall reported that the Family Violence Council sponsored a training on digital photography of injuries held on November 19-20. The training was made possible through a collaboration with a team from UC Davis, led by Family Violence Council member Dr. Leigh Kimberg of the Department of Public Health. Training participants included Adult Protective Services, medical personnel, community advocates, police inspectors from the Child Abuse Unit and the DVRU, and staff from neighboring counties. The Panel thanked Ms. Marshall for her work shepherding the training.
The next meeting of the Family Violence Council is Thursday, January 21, 2010, 3 - 4:30 pm, San Francisco Superior Court, 400 McAllister (at Polk), Room 617.
IV. OLD BUSINESS
A. Strategic Planning Retreat
Commissioner Keehn recognized the good work of Panel, committee, and community members who participated in the retreat. Dr. Murase thanked participants for a constructive retreat. Panel members reviewed the Strategic Plan in detail and provided minor edits / clarification.
ACTION: To approve the Justice & Courage Oversight Panel Strategic Plan 2008-2011, revised for 2010-2011.
(Thiesen/Upton/All)
Commissioner Keehn asked about whether the Panel would like to convene a Resources Committee. Ms. Upton volunteered to provide technical assistance to the new committee chair. Mr. Theisen agreed to meet with Ms. Upton to discuss further.
Commissioner Keehn asked about whether the Panel would like to convene a Safe Housing Committee. Ms. Hauck volunteered to serve on the committee. Ms. Black would like to invite Claire McCullough on her staff to join the committee. Mr. Theisen would like to invite Minouche Kandel at Bay Area Legal Aid to join the committee.
Regarding meetings with members of the Superior Court, the Panel would like to meet with the family court judge.
Ms. Upton commended the work of Assistant District Attorney Liz Aguilar-Tarchi on the Cindy Weaver homicide of October 2008, which will go to trial. Another domestic violence homicide will go to trail, involving Ina Canales who was murdered in January 2009. Suspect Manuel Castro fled the murder scene but was apprehended in Maryland with the help of Chief Gascon who tapped a Federal Marshall for the extradition.
Ms. Upton also reported on the death review of the Claire Joyce Tempongko case. Ms. Upton stated that given the extensive work on the case that had already been done, the review did not yield significant amounts of new information. However, death review team members came to the meeting with important recommendations for improving policies and procedures.
V. NEW BUSINESS
A. Meeting Dates for 2010
ACTION: Approved the 2010 calendar of quarterly meetings for the Justice and Courage Oversight Panel.
(Theisen/Black/All)
The Panel discussed the possibility of convening a community meeting to provide a report back on the Audit Implementation Committee final report. Mr. Theisen offered the idea of focusing the community meeting on housing needs. A final decision on the community meeting was postponed to the February meeting.
No public comment.
VI. PUBLIC COMMENT
No public comment.
VII. ADJOURNMENT
Commissioner Keehn adjourned the meeting at 11:10 am. The next Oversight Panel meeting will be held Wednesday, February 3, 2010.
